Today's guest is Richard Muirhead. Richard is a cryptozoologist, researcher and one of our regular bloggers.
So Richard Muirhead, here are your 5 questions on… Cryptozoology.
1) How did you first become interested in cryptozoology?
I used to live in Hong Kong and even at quite a young age I read the main English language newspaper out there, the South China Morning Post. This was a long time before the Internet and online editions. One morning in July 1977, around July 21st in fact, I read that the Japanese trawler Zuiyo-Maru had dragged a dead plesiosaur up from the depths. Many cryptozoologists believe these were the remains of a shark but I have read about there being 'nodes' on – presumably - the head of the carcass and I have seen a drawing and measurements of the skeleton of the animal by Michihiko Yano, the marine biologist onboard the vessel. This looks exactly like the skeleton of a pleisiosaurus. As Cooper has stated: 'Marine biologists are highly trained scientists whose ability to detect disease and mutations in fish and marine mammals is crucial to the health of the consumer let alone the profits of the fishing vessel concerned, so their knowledge of marine life is necessarily very great. Yet the BBC would have us believe that Michihiko Yano, the government-trained and highly qualified marine biologist who examined, photographed and measured the monster, wouldn`t know a dead shark when he saw one!' (A)
From the time of reading this, when I was 10, I was hooked.
2) Have you ever personally seen a cryptid or secondary evidence of a cryptid, if so can you please describe your encounter?
All I have seen is Hong Kong`s 'blood sucker' but whether or not that is a cryptid is a moot point. Jon mentioned it on a CFZ website about mystery insects. In my opinion it is probably the juvenile stage of a praying mantis. I come across reports of cryptids in the most unusual places, e.g. psychiatric hospitals (!), Franciscan friaries, antiquarian book shops, and most recently a book shop in Buxton, Derbyshire, a 'new' Ropen report and the more obvious – the Web. Whilst in hospital once I was directed towards a photo of a melanistic squirrel, which later appeared in print. I believe if you 'invest' your talents, you get more talents back.
3) Which cryptids do you think are the most likely to be scientifically discovered and described some day and why?
The Ropen, definitely. There seems to be a growing body of accounts, and the local people seem to be willing to talk about it and share information with outsiders. The current research seems to be concentrated in a not too large area. Also, orang pendek, for similar reasons and the sheer perseverance of those looking for it.
4) Which cryptids do you think are the least likely to exist?
The Loch Ness Monster; despite years of reports there doesn`t seem anything really convincing. If it`s good enough for Doc Shiels not to believe in it, then it’s good enough for me! (B)
5) If you had to pick your favourite cryptozoological book (not including books you may have written yourself) what would you chose?
Has to be A Living Dinosaur? by Roy Mackal.
References:
B.Cooper. After The Flood (1995) p.141.
Jon Downes and The Amphibians from Outer Space Invocation of My Daemon Brother.(song)
Steeleye Span Marrowbones
There was a woman in our town and in our town did dwell,
She loved her old man dearly but another man twice as well
And sing fal-the-lal-lal-the lal-li-day
Fal-lal-the A lal-li-day
She went down to the doctor to see if she could find
Anything in the whole world to make her old man blind
And sing fal the lal lal the lal-li-day
fal-lal-the A lal-li-day
“oh take him sixteen marrow bones and make him eat them all
And when he`s finished he`ll be so blind that he won`t see you at all.”
and sing fal-the-lal-lal-the-lal-li-day
fal-lal-the-A lal-li-day
so the doctor he wrote a letter and he sealed it with his hand
and he sent it up to the old man to make him understand
and sing fal-the-lal-lal-the-lal-li-day
fal-lal-the-A-lal-li-day…………
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